Method of Manufacturing Bioplastic Derived from Oatmeal Residue

Abstract

A method of manufacturing bioplastic derived from oatmeal residue comprises producing a mixture of oat waste, polypropylene, additives, plasticizers and lubricants that can be applied in plastic injection, extrusion and thermoforming processes. The process is performed at a very economical cost due to the fact that the formulation is derived from post-industrial waste or by-products of the food and agricultural industry, which for the majority are considered as garbage. this invention of bioplastic from oat waste aims to reduce the carbon footprint, reduce the degradation times of plastic products at the lowest possible cost. In an alternative embodiment, an oatmeal hull residue-based bioplastic is disclosed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, said steps comprising:
 66.5% of polypropylene in any of its forms (percentage varies depending on the product to be made) and 30% of oat residue (percentage varies depending on the product to be made) are mixed until a homogeneous mixture is obtained.   Subsequently, 1.5% of the additive is added (any additive used in adhesive coating applications, mold compounds and composites is added) to the mixture to facilitate coupling with the pelletizing machine and improve its fluidity.   Subsequently, 1% of the plasticizer (polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate, thermoplastic rubber, silicone, natural or synthetic rubber) is added to the mixture to add resistance and flexibility characteristics; and   Finally, 1% of the lubricant (zinc stearate, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, aluminum stearate, lithium stearate, sodium stearate, oleamide, polyolefin waxes) is added to the mixture to facilitate the transport of the mixture in the pelletizing machine.   
     
     
         2 . A method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, said steps comprising:
 formulating an oat residue bioplastic mixture, the steps of which comprise:
 selecting a bioplastic product to be made; 
 obtaining a predetermined amount of oatmeal hull residue to form a fiber, said predetermined amount of said oatmeal hull residue dependent upon said bioplastic product selected; 
 first adding a predetermined amount of polypropylene and said fiber to form a mixture; 
 second adding a predetermined amount of an additive to said mixture; 
 third adding a predetermined amount of a plasticizer to said mixture; 
 fourth adding a predetermined amount of a lubricant to said mixture, the result of which results in said oat residue bioplastic mixture; and 
 mixing said oat residue bioplastic mixture for a predetermined amount of time until said oat residue bioplastic mixture is homogeneous; 
   pouring said oat residue bioplastic mixture into a hopper;   transferring said oat residue bioplastic mixture;   heating said oat residue bioplastic mixture to a predetermined temperature for a predetermined period of time, said temperature and said time period sufficient to transform said oat residue bioplastic mixture from a solid state to a homogeneous viscous state;   filtering said oat residue bioplastic mixture through a mesh sufficient to remove impurities;   injecting said oat residue bioplastic mixture into a mold having a predetermined configuration of the desired products;   transporting said oat residue bioplastic mixture along a conveyor belt;   actively cooling said oat residue bioplastic mixture on said conveyor belt;   cutting said oat residue bioplastic mixture into pellets; and   collecting said pellets of said oat residue bioplastic mixture, wherein, the resulting oatmeal hull residue-based bioplastic is biobased, biodegradable and compostable.   
     
     
         3 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the amount of fiber added to said mixture is 30% of said mixture. 
     
     
         4 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the amount of polypropylene added to said mixture is 66.5% of said mixture. 
     
     
         5 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the amount of additive added to said mixture is 1.5% of said mixture. 
     
     
         6 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the amount of plasticizer added to said mixture is 1.0% of said mixture. 
     
     
         7 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the amount of lubricant added to said mixture is 1.0% of said mixture. 
     
     
         8 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said plasticizer is ethylene-vinyl acetate. 
     
     
         9 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 8 , wherein said lubricant is zinc stearate. 
     
     
         10 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the variants of said fiber range from 1% to 80%. 
     
     
         11 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 10 , wherein the variants of said polypropylene range from 15% to 99%. 
     
     
         12 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the variants of said additive range from 0.5% to 7%. 
     
     
         13 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the variants of said plasticizer range from 1.0% to 7%. 
     
     
         14 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the variants of said lubricant range from 1.0% to 7%. 
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 6 , wherein said plasticizer is selected from a group consisting of polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride, ethylene-vinyl acetate, thermoplastic rubber, silicone, and natural or synthetic rubber. 
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing bioplastic from oatmeal hull residue, as recited in  claim 7 , wherein said lubricant is a compound selected from the group consisting of magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, aluminum stearate, lithium stearate, sodium stearate, oleamide and polyolefin waxes.